California

Storms in California in 2003

823 events in 481 episodes

Every storm the National Weather Service filed in California in 2003, with each episode’s narrative and every event in it. From 1996 the record holds 48 kinds of event with each office’s narrative; before that, tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind only, and before 1955 tornadoes alone.

California in 2003 on the map

Every episode with a place to put it, colored by kind of event.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over California

The year

Events
823
Deaths
56
Injuries
444
Damage
$2.3 billion
Episodes
481

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

By kind of event

Kind of eventEventsDeathsInjuriesDamage
Heavy Snow14700$1,000
Wildfire13024255$2.2 billion
Flash Flood672063$15 million
High Wind6600$654,000
Strong Wind5900$111,000
Heavy Rain5801$66 million
Dense Fog51019$855,000
Lightning3412$230,000
Hail3200$150,000
Heat32525$2,000
Winter Storm2500$135,000
Frost/Freeze2400
Flood1814$590,000
Thunderstorm Wind1500$490,000
Funnel Cloud1300
Cold/Wind Chill1204
Rip Current11530
Dust Storm10041$460,000
Debris Flow700$110,000
Drought500
Winter Weather300
Storm Surge/Tide200
Dust Devil100$15,000
High Surf100

Every episode, month by month

January 2003

February 2003

March 2003

April 2003

May 2003

June 2003

July 2003

August 2003

September 2003

October 2003

November 2003

December 2003

More

Every year in CaliforniaEvery state in 2003Tornadoes in California in 2003Warnings in California in 200320022004

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.